Map01 - Cold Rock
Cold Rock Cold Rock is the first level of Hedon, introducing the player to the mechanics of the game and helping them get gradually accustomed to how it plays. It is roughly split into two halves, one taking place underground, in the crystal caves and mining outpost and one taking place outside, in the Green Wall forest. Mine Caves Crystal Mine A mine rich in magic crystals that caught the attention of the Lancers, who decided that the Iron Division should establish a mining outpost in order to harvest this precious resource used in their day to day technology. The layout of the mine is split between natural crystal caves and tunnels dug by the goblin miners, signaled with the warm light of Red Crystals. The Lancers have also commissioned a Dwarf prospector to come and aid the miners with their tunneling operations. Green Cave Certain caves are filled with Cyan Crystals which produce magnetic fields, heat and light, thus allowing vegetation like moss and ferns to thrive. Cream Fungi also grow in this micro-biome, providing the mining outpost with an extra local food supply. Water Cave A flooded cave is a fairly common sight in the underground, being a reliable source of clean water for the nearby inhabitants. There are Ghost Eel populating this one too, although there is not a lot of edible fish to be caught. A small waterfall brings in a steady stream of water, causing the Orcs to introduce a flood gate and a security shutter to avoid flood issues. Beyond the waterfall is a secret cave that seems to be used by one of the inhabitants to store some items. After the earthquakes started, bringing in the troublesome Crawlers, the Orcs managed to capture one of them in the room behind the flood gate, in order to have an I.D. Witch study it and figure out where it appeared from. This plan, however, never reached fruition as the Cultist invasion began in the meantime. Mining Outpost When arriving at the caves, the Orcs and Goblins quickly began building a simple outpost to house and protect them from any dangers. The outpost has a secure entrance with two gates, a depot for supplying carts and a reception room with a bathroom carved in stone. Adjacent to it a small enclosure contains the controls to the flood gate and the protective shutters connecting the inside with the water cave. When Zan opens the door to the bathroom, Abhaoth can be briefly seen looming behind her through the sink mirror, but quickly vanishes away. Beyond the reception hall there's a small dining room for the miners, a supply closet holding tools and a dormitory which cannot be accessed in-game. Past the dining room, a corridor leads to another secure point where the miners equip themselves before taking an elevator down into the caves. In a dropped note, Captain Dura complains about the tight space and low ceilings, also mentioning that the Goblins designing the areas considered a small space would be easier to heat up, thus favorable in this environment. Dura's Office Appointed foreman of the mining operation, Captain Dura had her office built farther away from the main outpost, where she could benefit from more peace and silence. The office is quite spacious, featuring a fire place, a desk (with the iron fist banner of the Iron Division on the wall behind) and two bookshelves, one of which opens to a secret pantry where Dura keeps her supplies stored. A note fixed to the fireplace informs her second in command of her temporary leave to Valc. Right next to the office lies a supply closet holding back-up power crystals needed to power up the large gates and elevator of the outpost. Green Wall Forest Outpost Entrance After hearing a commotion, the outpost guard opened the main gate only to see herself face to face with Nithriel using the clearing to warp in. She ran backwards to rally her sisters up, but just as they left the outpost to face the warlock, they got swiftly slain by her magic. Only a Reaver Witness survived the onslaught and documented what she had seen with her dying breath. When Zan finds the massacre, Abhaoth can be seen looming over the dead bodies at the entrance, then flying away towards the Valc mountain seen in the distance. The clearing is also the first time Zan encounters the Cultists, who ambush her by using the magic pentagrams. Moon Shrine Branching away from the cave harboring the supply route between the outpost and Valc lies the shrine of Moon, one of the minor Elemental Gods. Zan can bring a Moondrop Flower to it in order to finish the formation process of an Amulet of Shadows. Right next to the entrance to the shrine, the main tunnel is caved in and a severed Conscript body can be seen next to an explosive fuse box, suggesting that Nithriel ordered the main supply routes to be interrupted to prevent any potential reinforcements from reaching Valc. The Green Wall An ancient, mysterious and often dangerous forest, the Green Wall surrounds mount Valc, further adding to the secrecy of the Iron Division stronghold. Except for the greenskins, very few dare venture through, as the forest itself is rumored to be as dangerous as the beasts that inhabit it. A variety of flora can be seen and nocturne insects and birds heard among the tightly bunched-up tree trunks. Because of how rich the forest is, the Earth Mothers have a particular interest in it, often coming here to perform magic rituals. Mysterious Temple Deep inside the forest, a concealed cave next to a small creek leads up to a large set of stone doors. Behind lies an ancient temple. The area can only be accessed after performing the Moondrop Flower offering to the Moon Godess pedestal - on the way back Zan gets ambushed by some Cultists opening up a way through the trees. The temple has few elegant chambers and although it shows clear signs of decay like vegetation overgrowth and cave-ins/cracks someone seems to have been living there and maintaining it. What seems to have been a throne room has been repurposed into a dining room. The Water statue that would normally be placed around water pools has been moved in it as a redecoration, and the table only seems to have two chairs with the rest of them pushed to the side. The bed chamber also seems to be in good condition, and Zan can even find an orcish Crushbow on top of one of the footlockers. Orc Camp An Orc camp lies at the edge of the forest, bordering the mountain. It is quite small, with only four dwellings built into the stone and it's fortified with short log palisades to deter potential predators and dangerous beasts. The largest dwelling belonged to the leader of the community, Earth Mother Druga, who dealt in crystal transmutation and provided the Reaver Headquarters with Amulets of Shadow. Her house also contains a secret path which she would use to deliver her creations to Valc. The other house that can be accessed belonged to a woodcutter and her apprentice. With the Iron Division Campaign having started, the inhabitants of the camp have been called to join it, with the woodcutter's apprentice being left alone to tend to it, thus becoming the Forest Camp Keeper. After clearing the camp of the Cultists that have overtaken it, Zan proceeds through the secret tunnel to reach Valc's Plaza.